The Beginning of Them
by Aenaris
Summary: Astoria's had her eye on Ginny for a while. Now if only she can convince Ginny to pay attention to her.
1. Part 1: The Setup

_**.:. Part One .:.**_

_.:. The Set-up .:._

Astoria wove through the crowd, catching up to her target as she left the Great Hall. "Lovegood, a moment, if you wouldn't mind."

The blonde turned to look at her, studying her with wide eyes. "Do you need something?"

"Could I have a word with you? In private?" Astoria added as an afterthought, since her plans didn't involve standing in the middle of the Great Hall when she asked. She held her hands still, determined not to fidget while she waited the response. When the older girl gave a nod of consent, Astoria fought back a sigh of relief and led the two of them to a nearby abandoned classroom.

Once the door was shut and they verified they were alone, Lovegood leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Is this about the army of heliopaths that Fudge had when he was Minister? We haven't been able to figure out what happened when Scrimgeour took office."

Astoria wasn't sure what heliopaths were, nor if they actually existed, but she played along, not wanting to make an enemy of the person she was trying to get to help her. "No, I haven't heard anything either. Should I be worried?"

Lovegood nodded her head very solemnly. "Oh yes, very worrisome. Why then, are we here?"

Astoria took a deep breath and tried not to think about the words she was about to say, lest she panic and back out. "I know that you're friends with Ginny Weasley and I was hoping that you could help set me up on a date with her."

Lovegood studied her silently and as the moments stretched on without her saying anything, Astoria grew more and more nervous, finally breaking into her habit of twisting her hands around one another. Lovegood's eyes flicked downward at the movement, then back to her face, and Astoria silently cursed herself for breaking her Pureblooded training and doing as her mother always scolded her for. When Lovegood finally spoke, Astoria jumped, having adjusted to the silence and nearly forgetting she was in a conversation with someone as she berated herself. "Ginny has been known to date several boys and not voiced any indication that she had any interest in girls. What makes you think she'd want to go on a date with you?"

Astoria tried not to smirk at Lovegood's choice of words and wondered if Lovegood had seen the same signs of denial that she had. "As for going on a date with me specifically, I am not sure she'd be willing, that's why I'm asking you to help. As for not dating girls in general, I've seen the way her gaze lingers and the way she always seems to be forcing herself into a relationship as soon as one ends. She is merely in denial of her real feelings, and I hope I can give her that nudge into acceptance."

Lovegood studied her calmly, walking around her and sizing her up. "You've never given any indication of interest in her before. Why start now? Are you sure the Wrackspurts aren't just making your head fuzzy?"

Astoria heaved a sigh, wishing she could sit down and talk move comfortably, rather than standing here with an inquisition. She settled for rolling the hem of her sleeve between two fingers to distract herself from the discomfort of the situation. "It's not a Slytherin attempt at advancing myself in society, if that's what you're asking. I understand that she's highly regarded due to her and her family's role in the war, but that really has little influence on my part. I had my first crush on her years ago, but I was young and unsure, scared to make the first move and be rejected, knowing she likely wouldn't accept the idea that I was right. Since then, I've grown, and even dated a few boys to get the idea of important points of a relationship, so that I'm in a better position to make this work. This isn't the idea of a fling to gain standing for myself, I'm looking for a long-term, sincere relationship."

Lovegood tilted her head with a bemused smile and Astoria wished that Lovegood would show some of the uncertainty that she had. The older girl hardly seemed rattled by anything that occurred and Astoria couldn't read her like she could read much of the general population to know what was coming next. "'Dated a few boys'... You haven't given an indication you're interested in girls either."

Astoria shook her head. "I'm truly bi-sexual, not lesbian. Most of the girls in Slytherin don't catch my attention. They're too busy focusing on being the perfect Pureblooded ladies their mothers taught them to be, and they seem so shut off from reality. I want someone who's not afraid to show their emotions, who will get angry, or upset, or giddy and express exactly what she's feeling, rather than play the Slytherin power struggle of trying to know as much about your partner without letting them know anything about you in return."

Lovegood hadn't moved, with her head still tilted and that smile only grew. "Prove it."

"Pardon me?"

"Prove that you are attracted to girls. Or are my looks not appealing enough to you?"

Astoria's widened, completely thrown off guard by the older girl. Without being able to get a read on her, the request had surprised her and it took her a moment to get her bearings. She studied the other girl for a long moment, taking in her features. She'd certainly not consider dating Lovegood, since she disliked her inability to figure out anything that was going through the Ravenclaw's mind, but she was certainly pretty. "N-no, I think I could."

Lovegood straightened her head and took several steps forward before leaning her head in toward the Slytherin. "Then do it," she said softly.

Astoria hesitated a moment longer before closing the distance between them and moving her lips against the other girl's. Things were mellow for a moment, and then Astoria felt Lovegood's lips move against hers and Astoria parted her lips, allowing the tip of her tongue to explore against Lovegood's. She snaked a hand up, tangling it in the long blonde hair while she put the other on Lovegood's hip to pull her closer, losing herself in the moment of soft lips and delicate curves.

There were hands on her shoulders and Astoria blinked in surprise as Lovegood took a step back, breaking the kiss and separating them with the bloody smile on her face again. Feeling cross at her lack of control of the situation, Astoria commented, "You would think you would have believed me without all that," the subtle jibe about Lovegood's beliefs crossing her lips before she had time to contemplate her words.

They didn't take the smile off her face though, leaving Lovegood as calm as ever. "It's one thing to believe something for yourself, and another thing to believe it for someone else, especially when it could lead to a friend being hurt." Astoria chose not to comment, recognizing the wisdom in Lovegood's words, torn between apologizing for the harsh words and not wanting to apologize, since she had only stated the truth, when Lovegood broke the silence by speaking again. "Did you have any idea how you wanted to arrange this date?"

Astoria settled for shaking her head and supplying the truth, too out of place in the situation to try to manipulate control. "No. The boys always set up the dates I was in, so I never had to plan anything."

Lovegood was silent for several long moments again, and right as Astoria was getting impatient enough to say something, finally responded. "I think you should meet me at greenhouse one on Saturday morning, perhaps about eleven o'clock. That should be enough time to take you to the spot I know and to go get Ginny and bring her to the same spot for a noon date. It will leave you alone for a bit, but I really think it's best to surprise her so she can't back out. That spot will give you plenty of privacy, also, in case things get loud."

Astoria's eyes widened. "I wasn't planning on doing _that_," she hissed at the older girl.

Lovegood gave another tilt of the head and Astoria was getting ready to throttle her if the kept it up. "Yes, I'm sure you're not interested in yelling, but I thought Ginny might, at least until she gets over her denial."

A painful blush filled her cheeks as she realized her mind had jumped to ideas that Lovegood hadn't alluded to. "I-I'll be there then."

"Good." Lovegood drifted toward the door. "Of course, although I'm not sure Ginny would be ready, if things do progress to _that_ level, you'll have privacy then too."

She was out of the room before Astoria could respond, so the Slytherin just heaved a sigh and sat limply in a random chair. She wasn't sure if she should be happy that the date was arranged or seriously confused by the strange girl that was Luna Lovegood.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I am not J. K. Rowling, and I do not own Luna or Astoria, no matter how much I adore them.


	2. Part 2: The Picnic

**A/N: **This is for _ladyoftheknightley_'s "The Canon vs. Fanon" competition, _sparkling soul_'s "The 'I kissed a girl'" competition, _ladyoftheknightley_'s "Bechdel Test" competition, _HedwigBlack_'s "Slash/Femmslash Boot Camp" challenge with the prompt _beginning_, and _Lady Phoenix Fire Rose_'s "Boot Camp One Hour" challenge with the prompts _tempting_, _the right time_, _yellow_, _peach_ and _stop_. Wow. That was a lot.

* * *

**.:. Part Two .:.**

_.:. The Picnic .:._

Astoria picked her way across the lawn to greenhouse one, unsurprised when she found she was the only one at the building. She had grown up with the idea that there was no such thing as 'on time'. The right time to show up was based on your position in society; if you were lesser ranked than your companion, you would do well to arrive early so as to show proper respect, while if you were ranked higher, it was perfectly reasonable to show up late, expecting that companion would have no problem waiting for you. Normally, Astoria would have thought that the Greengrass family carried more prestige than the Lovegood family, and been inclined to show up late, but she was worried that Luna Lovegood might not be familiar with the idea and leave, believing Astoria had bailed on the meeting.

As she forced herself to remain calm, knowing the couldn't afford to be worked up when she met up with Ginny, Astoria watched the time tick by on her watch, eleven o'clock coming and passing. Belatedly, Astoria remembered Lovegood was a Pureblood also, and wondered if the girl was deliberate in showing up late, thereby proving her importance over Astoria for the favor by making her wait, or if she had simply been distracted in her usual carefree attitude.

When blonde hair showed around the corner of the greenhouse, Astoria's sigh was almost unnoticeable. "This way." Lovegood remarked calmly, turning and heading across the lawn toward the Forbidden Forest. Astoria followed for several silent minutes before she realized that Lovegood appeared to be taking them _into_ the forest and stopped suddenly. "Oh, don't worry, it's not really in it. You won't get eaten today." Lovegood remarked, apparently having noticed Astoria's halt. Astoria bit back a retort and resumed following Luna as the older girl found a path that lead along the edge of the trees to a simple clearing. "I'll be back," Lovegood told her before turning abruptly around and heading back the way they came.

Astoria wished there had been a little more talk and planning, but she supposed that beggars couldn't be choosers. She smoothed out her skirt and sat herself down on a fallen log, focusing on taking deep breaths to keep herself from stressing out on what was about to occur. She knew she truly wanted to date Ginny Weasley, but she just wasn't used to taking the lead in relationships, especially when she knew that if she made a wrong move, she could ruin the slightest possibility of having a chance.

As the minutes ticked by, Astoria was alerted to the two girls' approach by the cheerful conversation that approached her. Finally, the bright yellow sundress that Lovegood had been wearing came into view, accompanied by the dark blue one that showed a lot more of Ginny Weasley than Astoria had previously been able to see due to the Hogwarts robes.

"It looks like someone beat us here. Maybe we should go by the lake instead," Ginny commented, noticing Astoria's presence.

"No, she's supposed to be here," Lovegood commented calmly, unfolding the picnic blanket she was carrying with a flick of her wand. Once the item was laid flat, she levitated the basket into the middle.

"Oh, you didn't tell me she was joining us," the red-head remarked to Lovegood as she took a seat on the corner of the blanket.

"The picnic is just for the two of you. I have to go try to remove the nargles that took up residence in Ravendclaw tower after the renovations from the battle. Have fun," Lovegood instructed as she turned and skipped off, leaving the two girls alone in the clearing.

Ginny turned and shook her head at Astoria. "I'm afraid Luna had the wrong idea. I don't date girls. I'm sorry she dragged you all the way out here for no reason," she said as she started to stand.

"No, wait," Astoria said, coming and taking a seat on the blanket across from Ginny. "Couldn't we at least get to know each other a little and maybe become friends? It seems like a shame to waste this whole lunch L-Luna put together," Astoria asked, stumbling over using the girl's given name, rather than her surname. She noticed as Ginny's eyes narrowed a little as she was studied, and she opened the basket, pulling out the first thing her hand came in contact with to try to use as a distraction. "Peach?"

Apparently, that was a magic word, given that Ginny's attention was immediately diverted to the offered fruit. "Well, I guess it can't hurt," Ginny commented, taking the peach and biting into it. "I'm Ginny Weasley."

"Astoria Greengrass," she introduced herself, reaching into the basket and pulling out a peach for herself. She bit into it, carefully chewing and swallowing like she had been taught before speaking again. "I've seen you play on the Quidditch team. Are you going to be trying out again this year?"

Ginny nodded her head. "I'd possibly like to play professionally, so getting on the team this year could help me. Hopefully we can find someone to play a decent seeker, since I prefer chasing." Ginny seemed to catch onto the fact that she was discussing all this with a rival house and her gaze narrowed again. "I shouldn't be telling you any of this."

"I won't say a word," Astoria promised. "The Slytherins underestimate girls, so they still haven't added any to our team. Anything I could have told them would be ignored. I wouldn't be interested in playing anyway, it's too fast paced for me. I just enjoy watching. Meat pie?" She offered, pulling more food out of the basket. Ginny nodded her head and took the offered food and silverware. As tempting as it was to call Ginny out on her denial, Astoria opted to allow them to continue eating in silence, laying out a plan in her mind, given that the redhead didn't seem inclined to pursue the conversation anymore.

Once the meal was eaten and everything packed up, Astoria stood. "Thank you for the company. I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable," she said, offering her hand to Ginny. Thankfully, Ginny took it and used it to pull herself up. Once she was fully standing, Astoria took the necessary steps to close the distance between them, and pressed her lips to Ginny's, noting in satisfaction as Ginny's eyes widened, but the girl seemed too stunned to react. She bought her free hand up to Ginny's back, helping to keep her close and feeling relieved as she was tentatively kissed back.

Suddenly, Ginny seemed to catch onto what she was doing and pulled away. "Stop! Just stop! I told you, I'm not into girls." Her eyes were wide in panic, and Astoria couldn't tell whom she was trying to convince, Astoria or herself.

"No, you said you don't date girls. But you watch them, you study them when you think no one is looking. You want to, don't you?"

Ginny shook her head. "I- no, it's not right. I'm interested in boys, it's just... No, it's all _his _fault. I only pay attention to girls because of, of Tom. It's from when he possessed me. Just like when I get the ideas of doing horrible things, it's just a part of _him_ that never went away," Ginny countered desperately. "_I_ don't like girls, not that way."

Astoria remained silent for a moment. "Tom who?" She wasn't familiar with what Ginny was talking about.

"Tom Riddle. He had a diary, and I was possessed my first year. It's got to be the reason why I think I like girls. It's not proper otherwise."

Astoria shook her head, now recognizing the name from resent articles. "Tom Riddle? You really think _Voldemort _would have had an interest in anyone, female or male?" Ginny stared at Astoria, her eyes pleading her not to continue talking, but Astoria ignored her, too close to give up. "It's not a bad thing. It's okay to like girls. You don't have to tell yourself otherwise." She leaned in once more and kissed Ginny again, and Ginny responded with a desperate zeal that she hadn't expected. It was several long moments before they pulled away.

"What would my family think?" Ginny moaned, leaning her forehead against Astoria's as they both caught their breaths.

"I'm sure they'll love you just the same. I'll help you figure out how to tell them if you'd like. We can keep this silent for the moment, if it will help," Astoria offered, as Ginny nodded her head furiously. She smiled at the other girl. "I have a feeling this is the beginning of something wonderful," she stated, capturing Ginny's lips in another kiss.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I am not J. K. Rowling, and I do not own Luna, Ginny or Astoria, no matter how much I adore them.


End file.
